November 2012 Group Watch: Alabama Will Not Set Up State Health Exchange
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley announced this week that the state will not establish a state insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. Bentley says the Affordable Care Act is neither affordable nor does it actually improve health care. The governor says his decision comes after speaking individually and in group settings with governors from across the country. The governor says he will not expand Medicaid under the current structure because the taxpayers cannot afford it. Under the Affordable Care Act, states have until November 16 to determine if they will set up their own exchange, or let the federal government form its own exchange. State officials predict participation in the exchange would have added a tax burden of up to $50 million on the people of Alabama.
